


Broken Blade

by SwoodMaxProductions



Series: Hyrule Warriors 2 AU [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Artificial Intelligence, Conditioning, Cuddling & Snuggling, Demise’s curse, Feels, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, GANONDORF SAYS INTELLIGENT ITEM RIGHTS, Ganondad and his metal murderchild, Gen, Ghirahim is a very traumatized sword, Good Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda), Good!Ghirahim, Hurt/Comfort, Literal Sleeping Together, Nightmares, Obedience, Past Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Protectiveness, Team Villain (Legend of Zelda), Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved, Unaccustomed to Affection, Vulnerability, Whump, ganondad, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24253333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwoodMaxProductions/pseuds/SwoodMaxProductions
Summary: In which Ghirahim discovers that Ganondorf is nothing like Demise... and also is hugged for the very first time.
Relationships: Ghirahim & Ganondorf
Series: Hyrule Warriors 2 AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750702
Comments: 28
Kudos: 123





	Broken Blade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dmichelle312](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmichelle312/gifts).



> I’m very nervous about this because Ghirahim is a character almost exclusively used for smut and shipping but I told my fears to stfu and let the swordy boi have a damn hug.
> 
> And so I posted this. Enjoy.

A small whimper pulled Ganondorf’s eyes away from his translation of the sigils recovered from Cia’s cache. He knew immediately who had made the sound. One of the few who dared to spend any amount of time in Ganondorf’s chambers, the ancient spirit known as Ghirahim had curled up in the corner some time ago. He didn’t require nearly as much sleep as a human, but the strange entity had been insistent on doing as much as he could, which, considering the interdimensional struggles going on amidst everything else, raised that need considerably.

Ghirahim mumbled something incomprehensible, but his panicked, pleading tone told the Gerudo King everything. Ganondorf watched as the sleeping spirit twitched, then curled tighter into himself, trying to cover his chest as much as possible. He was having a nightmare. Whatever was happening, whatever he was seeing, he was trying to protect the vulnerable core in his chest from it. The spirit cried out, and Ganondorf stood to wake him—

“NO! MASTER, PLEASE—!”

He was awake. Ghirahim’s eyes darted wildly around the room. When they landed on Ganondorf, he could see the fear, the deep, primal fear in the sword spirit’s gaze.

He was shocked. Shocked… and heartbroken. The thing that haunted Ghirahim, that stalked him even in sleep… was Demise. Ganondorf didn’t know the full extent of what Demise did to his poor sword spirit, and quite honestly didn’t want to. All he knew was that the being that had proved to be a loyal ally had been woken from a terrible nightmare by his own screams.

And the instincts that came from having younger sisters and daughters had taught Ganondorf exactly how to deal with nightmares.

“I, er, I— I’m sorry, Master—“

“Ghirahim.”

Ganondorf’s voice was gentle, which seemed to genuinely surprise Ghirahim.

He moved to the spirit’s side, crouching down next to him as non-threateningly as he could manage.

“Come here, Ghirahim. You can sleep in my bed.”

The sword spirit looked up at him, confused and hesitant.

“But… it’s _your_ bed, Master. Not mine.”

Ganondorf sighed.

“That is an order, Ghirahim.”

The fear flickered back into his eyes, but Ghirahim obeyed. Ganondorf put his arm around him, trying to put the spirit at ease that he wasn’t going to hurt him. Ganondorf sat down on the bed, pulling Ghirahim into his lap.

Ghirahim seemed as though he didn’t know how to react. Had he ever been hugged before? Ganondorf couldn’t help but wonder. From the way his body remained tense, seemingly unsure of what to do, it seemed that the answer was no. It didn’t surprise him as much as it probably should have, he thought grimly. He, too, had been subjected to the cruelty of the Lord of the Devouring Void. Ever since he was but a child, he had been there, taunting him, tearing at his mind and filling his sporadic sleep with nightmares where the pain was far too real. From what he could tell, the other incarnations had experienced the same. He shuddered to think what atrocities Demise had subjected Ghirahim to while incarnate in the mortal realm…

“I’m not going to hurt you, Ghirahim. And I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you.”

Ghirahim did not protest at being moved. The tension in his body was slowly beginning to ease— the lack of reaction was becoming less and less of a matter of obedience. Moving his pillows to lean against, Ganondorf cradled the stunned eidolon like a child. Slowly, Ghirahim let his head rest against Ganondorf’s shoulder.

“What I am doing,” said Ganondorf softly, “is a gesture of affection. Affection that you deserve. You have suffered alone for far too long. And I swear, that as long as there is life left in this body, I will always be ready to stand by your side. We’re in this together.”

A strange prickling sensation on his chest prompted Ganondorf to look down. Though the surreal substance barely resembled its human equivalent, he immediately recognized what it was.

_Tears_.

“Thank you, Master…”

The eidolon’s voice was barely audible.

“Rest now, Ghirahim. We have our work cut out for us.”

Ganondorf ran his fingers through Ghirahim’s hair as the spirit let his eyes close once more. He pressed himself up against his master, snuggling into Ganondorf’s massive arms, silently reveling in such proximity without threat, the benevolent touch of another sentient being. Though his limbs and, to a lesser degree, head, felt too cool to the touch to be human, his chest gave off a gentle heat, the soothing warmth of his core.

He found the eidolon… strangely soothing. His trust put Ganondorf at ease, which was no easy task. He couldn’t properly recall the last time he’d hugged someone. His memories became more disjointed surrounding the shattering of his soul...

He continued to stroke Ghirahim’s surprisingly soft hair, hard-pressed not to draw a comparison to a cat as the spirit’s mind was overtaken by sleep once again. It had never occurred to Ganondorf how oddly youthful Ghirahim appeared. The living blade was ancient, timeless— and yet… he seemed so young. Seventeen? Certainly young enough to be his child…

Ghirahim was not human. But he could think. He could feel. He could _suffer_. 

And it hurt. It hurt knowing that this was likely the first time Ghirahim had ever been hugged. And that pain made Ganondorf ANGRY.

How _dare_ Demise so cruelly exploit a creature with such undying loyalty, such trust and faith. How _dare_ he harm a being so inextricably bound to him. How _dare_ he abuse the one being who could not leave to the point where even millennia after his fall, he still inspired fear.

He would make Demise pay for what he did. To him, to his people, to the other Triforce bearers, and to the pale, slumbering spirit in his arms.

Ganondorf slept, and dreamed of hard-earned vengeance.

He never let go of Ghirahim.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, according to interviews the devs wanted Ghirahim to look around the same age as Link...
> 
> PATERNAL INSTINCTS, ACTIVATE!


End file.
